Tragic Incident: Mother Set Ablaze by Son Amid Eviction Dispute in Shocking Gasoline Attack

A man from Tennessee is accused of setting his mother and her home ablaze after she attempted to evict him, according to authorities.

Identified as 32-year-old Dustin Tayler Machen, he faces multiple charges including attempted first-degree murder, attempted especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated arson, aggravated burglary, and obstructing a 911 call, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office revealed on Thursday. Machen is currently held at the Washington County Detention Center without bail.

Authorities, led by Sheriff Keith Sexton, were called to a residence on South Pickens Bridge Road in Washington County, Tennessee, early Thursday morning in response to an arson report. Upon arrival, they discovered the structure fully engulfed in flames.

The call was reportedly made by the victim, who identified her son, Machen, as the arsonist.

“The mother was in the process of evicting her son,” Sexton explained to local ABC and CBS affiliate WJHL. “He left the house, returned with gasoline, and used it to set both his mother and the house on fire.”

Allegedly, Machen ignited his mother as she attempted to flee and destroyed her phone to prevent her from contacting emergency services. Despite this, she managed to escape to a neighbor’s house where she successfully called 911.

The mother suffered burns to her arms and was brought to a local hospital. The extent of her injuries was not immediately available.

Machen was found nearby and arrested. “Deputies happened to see him,” Sexton said to the local outlet, adding that the suspect had previous charges relating to domestic violence against his mother. “We had deployed a drone, which located a backpack that had some of his personal items and other things in there, but he was out in the field … just watching the fire.”

The defendant was expected to appear in court on Friday.

Washington County, Tennessee, is located in the northeastern part of the state.